Communication technologies that network electronic devices are well known. Examples include wired packet data networks, wireless packet data networks, wired telephone networks, and satellite communication networks, among other networks. These communication networks typically include a network infrastructure that services a plurality of client devices. The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is probably the best-known communication network and has been in existence for many years. The Internet, another well-known example of a communication network, has also been in existence for a number of years. Communication networks like these enable client devices to communicate with one another on a global basis.
Local Area Networks (wired LANs), e.g., Ethernets, support communications between networked computers and other devices within a serviced area. These wired LANs often link serviced devices to Wide Area Networks (e.g., WANs) and the Internet. Each of these networks is generally considered a “wired” network, even though some of these networks, e.g., the PSTN, may include some transmission paths that are serviced by wireless links.
Wireless networks have come into existence more recently. Examples include cellular telephone networks, wireless LANs (WLANs), and satellite communication networks. Common forms of WLANs such as IEEE 802.11(a) networks, IEEE 802.11(b) networks, and IEEE 802.11(g) networks are referred to jointly as “IEEE 802.11 networks.” In a typical IEEE 802.11 network, a wired backbone couples to a plurality of wireless Access Points (APs), each of which supports wireless communications with computers and other wireless terminals that include compatible wireless interfaces within a serviced area. The wired backbone couples the APs of the IEEE 802.11 network to other networks, both wired and wireless, and allows serviced wireless terminals to communicate with devices external to the IEEE 802.11 network. Devices that operate consistently with an IEEE 802.11 protocol may also support ad hoc networking in which wireless terminals communicate directly to one another without the presence of an AP.
Currently, Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) service a wide variety of data communications, typically relating to non-real-time requirements. As the bandwidth delivered on the wireless links serviced by the WLANs increases, additional data communications may also be delivered, e.g., Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), video conferencing, multi-media streaming, etc. However, when the WLAN supports many data transactions, the communications requiring continual throughput such as voice and multimedia communications may not be sufficiently serviced. The result of this shortcoming is reduced voice and video image quality, disconnection of the serviced communication, etc.
The shortcomings of the WLAN may be at the APs that service the wireless links within the WLAN. Each WLAN supports only a maximum throughput, e.g., 11 Mbps (mega-bits per second) for IEEE 802.11b APs and 54 Mbps for 802.11a and 802.11g APs. When a particular AP cannot service all of its client devices, latency in the communications will increase. Because the AP cannot typically assign priority to its serviced communications, some or all of the serviced communications are adversely affected.
The performance of the WLAN may also be affected by the switches, routers, nodes or other elements in the backbone network of the WLAN and/or gateways that couple the WLAN to a WAN, to the Internet, to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or to another servicing network. When these devices become overloaded, the WLAN serviced communications are also affected. Additionally, traffic within individual network segments may adversely impact communications.
WLANs often serve as terminating networks for voice communications, multimedia communications, etc. In some operations, the WLANs perform adequately but a network that couples the WLANs does not. An example of such an installation is when two offices of a major corporation each have WLAN service and a WAN couples the WLANs. In order to reduce telephony costs, voice traffic is routed across the WAN. When voice quality suffers, the WLAN administrators most likely identify the WLAN components as the problem even though the WAN itself may be the bottleneck. This troubleshooting most often occurs when reported by a user after the fact. By that time, the WAN problem may have been remedied and the system administrator can offer no solution. Such is also the case when the APs or other WLAN components are temporarily overloaded.
Thus, a need exists for intelligent systems and components that can identify network or pathway problems in real-time and effect real-time solutions.